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Bytor6
join:2013-12-22
Waterloo, ON

Bytor6

Member

VMedia comes across as incompetent

(This is a repost of the post I made to VMedia's own forum on September 2rd, describing how I got bumped from one customer service representative to another since August 27th, each one telling me the problem was me not configuring my router correctly when the issue was that my DSL PPP connection was being given a dynamic IP address in stead of the static one I was supposed to receive. I've removed the employees' first names, which I had used on the VMedia forum for accountability's sake.)

After yet another frustrating call with VMedia support telling me I need to reconfigure my router to fix the issue I reported to them, I'm going to post here, hoping a technically skilled VMedia employee will see what is going on and can actually give me some competent help. I will start from the beginning.

On August 27th I noticed that the block of 16 extra IP addresses I purchased from VMedia was not getting properly routed to me.

I used the webchat on the VMedia website to contact support and the rep took down the problem went away for a bit and then said they had reset my internet connection and things should be working again. Because I was watch my router's logs, I saw the disconnect happen but I was glad that the webchat session had not also disconnected. I verified that the traffic destined for my block of extra IP addresses was once again arriving at my network and we closed the webchat.

In addition to that block of extra IP addresses, back in October 2013 when I signed up I had also asked that the the main IP address of the DSL PPP connection also be made static rather than the ever changing, dynamic address usually assigned. Those two things were to be an extra $20/mo on my bill.

So since October 1st, the IP address my router was given for the PPP connection was 198.251.62.10, but when the VMedia rep told me my connection had been reset to fix the block routing issue, I noticed that it had been assigned 198.251.52.102. I assumed that this was just a new static address so I went and changed the address of my router on services like tunnelbroker.net and the IP address for a couple of the DNS entries for my domains. I don't really care what it is, as long as it stays the same.

Later that evening, around 10pm, my VDSL loop got rather flakey and would not stay connected for more than 20 minutes at most and usually only for 5 or 10 minutes. It continued doing that until about 7am when it started staying connected for progressively longer and longer times until about noon on the 28th. Since then it's been the usual once a day, once every other day that one can expect form a slightly noisy but otherwise decent DSL loop.

During that flakiness, though, from 10pm until I went to bed a 1am, my router was given 3 different IP addresses and had yet another different one when I checked again at 8:30am.

Clearly, that is not the static IP address I was supposed to have.

So I used the VMedia webchat again and explained the issue to a second rep who's name was . During that webchat, a second bout of flakiness happened and the webchat timed out, but when I started a new one, I got the same rep. The rep told me that he would pass the issue along to the person who could fix the problem.

Later that day I got an email from saying "They looked into it and they came to a conclusion that you still have the IP block set static for you. You will have to look into the configuration from your end and set IP address for each of your system." Obviously he had misunderstood me and thought I was referring to the block of 16 extra address, and had passed on the wrong information to the technical team.

I replied, say that the problem was not with the block of extra IP addresses, but with the main IP address that gets assigned to the PPP connection at authentication and request that somebody contact me once they are sure the problem has been fixed.

On the 29th I got an email from somebody named who said: "From our side we can see that the IP block 198.251.XX.YY/28 is still assigned and routed properly. Please double-check your configuration." Again, he clearly misunderstood the issue, and again I replied stating that the problem was not with the block of extra IP addresses nor with my router's configuration but with the IP address their server was assigning to my my PPP connection and how it was changed every disconnect and reconnect.

My VDSL loop was mostly stable for the next two days, disconnecting ad reconnecting about once every 24 hours, but because each time the connection was restored and I got the same IP address for three three disconnects/reconnects in a row, I thought my problem has been fixed, even though nobody had contacted me.

But on that third day, the 29th of August, when it disconnected again, I got a different IP address. Clearly, the issued had not been dealt with. So I telephoned in and got a fourth rep named . I explained to him how the previous 2 reps, and , had not understood what the issue is. After he read the tickets, I explained to him that the problem was not a configuration issue with my router but with the IP address their server was assigned to my router when it established the PPP connection. I asked to please be escalated to an actual tech, since made sure to very clearly tell me that he did not have much technical skill to be able to understand what the problem was. However, refused to do so, but I eventually got him to go and check if that person was in. I asked him to repeat back to me in his own words what he thought I had said. He repeated back that the problem was not with the block of extra IP addresses and not with how my router was configured but with the IP address being assigned via PPP. He said that he would write that down to take with him. When came back to the call, he told me that the person who could fix this was not at their desk right now but he would keep and eye out for them and keep me informed.

On September the 2nd, shortly after 5pm I got a call from Shifat, which I just barely missed so I called VMedia back right away. While I was on hold for almost 30 minutes, I got an email from saying: "I would like to follow up with you regarding the Static IP issue. You need to configure from your end to get the set your IP to Static. I am providing you a brief description below regarding to set up Static IP, which may be helpful for you."

Well, at least they didn't mention the block of extra IP addresses that time, but they were still getting it wrong and still telling me I need to properly configure my router. I simply cannot seem to make it clear to these VMedia people that I do not control what IP address their server hands to to a DSL PPP client when it authenticates, and that this has nothing to do with how my router is configured for the block of extra IP addresses.

After about 30 minutes on hold, my call was answered by . He told me I need to properly configure my router to solve the problem. So I reminded him what told him yesterday and what he had repeated back to me. He said he remembered and he insisted that he passed on that information accurately to the tech person. When I asked him why the tech person told him that I needed to change my router's config when the issue is with the IP address their server is giving me, he once again made it clear that he did not have the technical knowledge or skill to understand this problem. put me on hold for a bit, saying he was going to see if the tech person was still in, but came back and told me the tech was already gone. I tried to explain to in general terms how the basic flow of a PPP connection went to try and help him understand why the problem was not with my router, but he didn't want to hear any of it and said there was nothing more he or VMedia could do to help me.

I refrained from venting the expletives about how that was bovine faeces since the problem is how there server is not giving my router the same IP address each time it reconnects and they could damn well fix that.

So I started asking to have my call escalated and to speak to a supervisor. First he told that he had already talked to his supervisor while he had put me on hold to try and find the tech and that his supervisor would call me back. I asked when this supervisor would do that but refused to give even a "1 to 2 hours" type of estimation. So I said I would wait on hold since also claimed that he did not have the ability to transfer my call to his supervisor. So I said I would wait until the supervisor could come and use phone to talk with me. So put me on hold and eventually came back saying that his Supervisor was already on another call with somebody else so I said I would wait on this call until the Supervisor was done with that call. then told me that there were other customers who had been told before me they would get a call back from a supervisor, and those calls had to be made first before the Supervisor would talk with me.

Nothing more that I could say would get to do anything than tell me his Supervisor might call me tonight, he wasn't sure. The Supervisor might call me tomorrow, again he wasn't sure.

What do you have to do with VMedia to get your call escalated for a problem that the techs answering the phones and chat lines are clearly not equipped to understand? Because clearly being a paying customer is not enough.
Bytor6

Bytor6

Member

On September the 3rd while was out for lunch with my mother, I got an email from a fifth person at VMedia whom I had not previously with saying this:
We apologize for the misunderstanding, and for the delay in resolving this matter. We have added a static IP 198.251.62.10 to the addition of the ip block that you have from us. We have reset the session for you so your ip is already changed to 198.251.62.10 so you can set up the block beyond that.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Well, this person, call him has finally realized that what I am complaining about is the IP address given to my router's PPP session and that this is something that he can change, not that I change. Though he also thinks I'm having trouble setting up the block of extra IP addresses, which was not the issue.

However, I took the opportunity offered by the "any...concerns" line because do I EVER have concerns about how this was handled. So I said the following:
Yes, I have a very significant concern. *Also, promised me a call
from his supervisor and I still require that call to happen. Please make
sure that happens.*

Give then the supposed tech support people who answer the phones when I
choose "Technical Support" from the automated menu are really just customer
service representatives without the proper skills or knowledge to
understand problems and relay them on to the actual technicians who
actually fix problems, why was I denied escalation to those actual
technicians when I repeatedly pointed out that the CSRs were getting things
wrong?

At the very least, should have said "I see that two other people
before me didn't understand things and I have little technical skill
myself, so I had better connect you directly with someone with more skill".
Instead he refused to escalate things and refused let me talk with his
supervisor, only giving me excuses which first he said his supervisor was
not in, then he said his supervisors was on the phone, then he said that
his supervisor had to call other people before talking with me so he wasn't
going to let me wait on hold. And he refused to give an estimate of when
his supervisor would call me back beyond a vague and meaningless (maybe
this evening, maybe tomorrow).

I explained to , when I first talked with him, and had him repeat
things back to me in his own words, that the issue was not with the
netblock or with my router's configuration, but with the IP being assigned
to my DSL PPP connection. Yet what he told me was that the tech told him I
needed to properly configure my router. That leave sme with 3 possibilities:

1. never actually when to that person but just scanned the ticket
and repeated what other people had told me to do.

2. , who specifically declared that his does not have much in the way
of technical skills, is so clueless that he could not even properly express
"It's the IP address we assign his DSL PPP connection" and thus should
*never* be answering tech support calls because you can't be sure he'll
ever write down correctly what the problem is to be fixed.

3. passed on the info correctly even if he didn't understand it, and
your tech is to blame for either being incompetent or not properly
reviewing the issue to determine what the problem is.

So why is your organization so resistant in letting the customers talk the
people who can actually understand the problems and fix them quickly? It's
not like I was a first time caller immediately & belligerently asking for a
supervisor.

Given that I was recently coerced into paying, in two large amounts,
back-fees for my static IP block that YOU forgot to charge me for 10 months
by being threatened that my service would be cancelled otherwise, this all
leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth about the services provided by
VMedia and the competency of your organization.
In response, from a sixth person, I got the following:
Our supervisor tried contacting you several times today, but was unable to reach you.

Please let me explain what had happened. When we add the IP block service to your account, you can assign the static IP address for your router by yourself from that block and our system will accept it. If your router wont tell us which IP address it wants to use, we are going to assign you a dynamic ip address from the pool. What we did for you today, you could have done by yourself. Again we apologize for the misunderstanding, hopefully it will never happen again.
*headdesk*

This guy thinks that it was still an issue with me not being able to configure the block of extra IP addresses, which I had repeatedly told VMedia was not the issue. That he thinks I can take one of that block of extras and assign it to the DSL PPP connection shows that he does not understand how DSL PPP connections work or how IP networking in general works.

I'm amazed that they were ever able to start up and run an ISP.
koreyb
Open the Canadian Market NOW
join:2005-01-08
Etobicoke, ON

koreyb to Bytor6

Member

to Bytor6
Just to be clear... VMedia partners with isps, doesn't run their own really.... If there is one beef, its that because it creates a second layer of middle men and confusion. In my experience I have had great luck with VMedia with only a few hickups.

As with any company, big or small, there is people working that are not as strong or knowlegeable for outside the standard requests. I've also found like all companies, there is people on staff who's English skills lack and things don't always get recorded correctly when taking info.

I've found VMedia has some great support people.. And a few not so great. Its just how it works. The product from my experience has been fine and its been a while since I've had to call about anything.
Bytor6
join:2013-12-22
Waterloo, ON

Bytor6

Member

Yes, I know that organizations have team members with variables skill levels, and having been a senior support team member at an ISP, I know that you need to have an escalation path for team members that don't understand what the problem being explained to them is.

As I explained, I did not get the one weaker team member ad then later got somebody who was skilled. I got rep after rep after rep who was technically clueless and unable to understand what the issue was, constantly confusing it with another issue.

If what you say is true about VMedia only reselling other ISP's service, then it is even more critical for the people they have answering their tech support phone lines have enough technical skills to be able to understand "My PPP connection is no longer a static IP but is getting a different one each time I reconnect" and be able to pass that on correctly to the third party, and not confuse the problem with an unrelated add-on to the customer's account.

It's like I took my car in because the radio stopped working because the antenna was broken, and during the process of replacing the antenna they had to detach the left-hand turn signal to reach the antenna wire port and forgot to reattach it. Then, when I call back in and say "Hey, you fixed my antenna but you forgot to reattach the left-hand turn signal now that no longer works" the person who answers the service desk phone keeps telling me "You need set your car stereo system to 'FM', not 'CD', to listen to the radio" and refusing to let me schedule time with a mechanic to repair the turn signal.
hmomeni
join:2014-09-12
m5j0a7

hmomeni to Bytor6

Member

to Bytor6
I have had the worst ever experience with VMedia. I discourage anybody who is going for their services.
From day one:
- It took them 6 weeks from the day I subscribed to connect the line. 3 times they missed to visit and connect the line and they were blaming the address (which was correct) and Rogers.
- They charged me for the days that the installation was delayed. So far they have not refunded the amount nor accept it
- The line went off for no reason, two days without internet or with a speed below 0.5 mbps
- Support line is rubbish. They never respond ontime nor call. You have to wait for hours if lucky to get someone on the phone. The chat line takes your number and never call
- If Alexei Tchernobrivets can't run a company better leave it.

Mod edit: Solicitation removed re: against TOS